


In War, Victory. In Death, Sacrifice.

by danceswithhamsters01



Series: Reddit Prompts [25]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Bethany reacts, Death notice, Gen, Varric wrote to Hawke's sister, Warden Bethany Hawke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-20 00:15:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17011848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danceswithhamsters01/pseuds/danceswithhamsters01
Summary: Based on a prompt from r/dragonageAva Hawke had loved Anders, and unfortunately had to end his life after the Chantry incident. Her little brother Carver died during the family's escape from the Blight. Her mother had been murdered by a madman. Her cousin had left on a search for a Cure to the Calling. All her friends had scattered to the winds. Varric has the sad duty of notifying the only other living member of Hawke's family of her passing: her little sister, Bethany, who had become a Grey Warden.Warden Bethany Hawke has just gotten his letter...





	In War, Victory. In Death, Sacrifice.

**Author's Note:**

> A companion/follow up piece to the one found here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17011671
> 
> The "Snowball" Varric refers to is Sevarra Amell.

**Prompt 5:** Whipping winds, howling mabari, a clash of thunder, a spark of blue, a grumbling of annoyance

 

Ansburg, 9:4 2 Dragon.

 

The winds were picking up, whipping the banners around the keep into frenzied fluttering. A Warden sighed as she made her way into the gate. She’d just returned from a trip into the city-state proper for some supplies for the keep that laid technically outside of the local  Margrave’s jurisdiction.  An ox-pulled cart followed behind her, laden with goods. She and the stable-hands worked quickly to bring the goods to the larder before the storm came upon them. Grumbling in annoyance after stubbing a toe on one of the wagon’s wheels, she took her leave after dropping off the last sack of flour  at the kitchens. 

 

S he grumbled. Ansburg was a backwater. It couldn’t hold a candle to her old posting in Montsimmard. She’d grown used to the perks of being in a bustling city. The food had certainly been nicer.  She  explored the city on her free days,  soon discovering she had a fondness for tiny cakes and the local playhouse. After seeing the colorful life in Orlais, Ansburg was hopelessly drab. 

 

A  clash of thunder roared overhead as she paced up the spiral staircase that would take her to her quarters. Mabari in the pens outside howled at the changing weather,  frustrated by  a foe they could not attack directly.  Shortly after, rain began heavily pelting the keep,  making clattering sounds as it spattered against the roof.  Just as she reached her door, a messenger tapped her on the arm. 

 

“Warden Hawke, a message came for you,” the dwarf said and promptly handed over a sealed letter. Before she could thank him, he was already hurrying away, his satchel still heavy with other things to deliver.

 

B ethany shook her head and pushed the door open. She snapped her fingers and a spark of blue lit the room as a wisp answered her summons. It expanded to roughly the size of her fist and lazily hovered over her shoulder.  Kicking off her boots, she slammed the door shut and plopped onto her cot.  She broke the wax seal with a thumbnail and began reading. 

 

 

_Sunshine,_

 

_ I don’t know how to say this any other way, so here goes:  Y our sister  is gone. She won’t  ever  be coming back. From what the Inquisitor tells me, Ava  saved both her and Stroud from a Nightmare demon in the Fade. She literally pushed them toward the escape route and threw herself at the demon to distract it.  _

 

_ I know you’re very likely sad, angry and everything in between, but at least read this through before you make any decisions.  I know you’re pissed off at Snowball for  her  getting your commander  to transfer you all the way to Ansburg. Knowing what I know now, I sort of wish she’d hadn’t compromised and had you sent even further. There’s some seriously creepy shit that went on with the Warden mages in and around Orlais. Sunshine, there’s no pretty way to put it, those mages got mind-controlled  by Corypheus.  If your  old  commander had been a more stubborn man, you would’ve been one of them.  _

 

_ Snowball will be brokenhearted when she gets back to civilization; many of those mages were ones she personally trained.  There was nothing we could do to save them and they had to be put down. They were summoning sodding demons, for Andraste’s sake! The Wardens who weren’t mages helped us readily enough. The warriors and rogues are working for the Inquisition for now. Stroud left for Weisshaupt  yesterday to let the First Warden know what’s been going on.  _

 

_ I  wish there was  more I could do for you, but I’m over here and you’re stuck over there. For now, over there is much safer for you. I’m pretty sure Chuckles would agree with me and Snowball.  The Inquisitor will send you a letter herself,  she took what happened in the Fade very hard.  _

 

_ - Varric _

 

_ P.S.-  Seeker Pentaghast tried to kill me when she found out  that  I knew where your sister was hiding after the mess in Kirkwall.  Avoid her if you can.  _

 

T he letter fluttered to the floor. 

 

“No… this can’t be real. Please...”

 

She stood up from her cot, only to sink to her knees as sobs racked her. Her weeping was buried in the deafening rumble of thunder.  The weeping gave way to a scream of rage.  A bolt of lightning flew upward from the roof, stabbing at the storm clouds above,  followed by another and another, until she was too exhausted to continue her lashing out. 

 


End file.
